This invention relates to an alignment and support apparatus for aligning and supporting pipes and the like during a concrete pour operation. More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus that keeps pipes and the like correctly aligned with respect to a form board during a concrete pour operation.
Many building structures, such as foundations, floors, ceilings, walls, and the like, include a concrete slab having pipes and the like embedded therein. Form boards are typically used to provide the desired shape of concrete slab. The form boards are usually made out of wood, with pipe work and the like supported therein. Concrete is poured into the form, and once set, the form is removed to reveal a concrete slab with pipes and the like embedded therein. It is very important that the pipes and/or conduits do not move during the concrete pouring operation.
For this reason, various apparatus and methods are employed in the construction art to support a desired configuration of pipes inside the wooden form until the concrete (e.g. for a foundation) is poured and has had sufficient time to set or harden, thereby saving space by embedding the pipe work and the like in the concrete. For example, lengths of rebar are driven into the ground and sections of pipe are taped to the rebar to provide structural support to the pipe configuration. Because the rebar and tape are typically removed prior to the pouring of concrete so that footers may be dug, the pipe or pipes will often sag prior to the concrete pour operation, and unless repositioned will result in a plumbing configuration that is permanently crooked when later embedded in cured concrete. Often this sagging results in poor pipe work configuration that causes pipe leaks, water pressure problems, and drainage issues all of which are best avoided by maintaining proper support and alignment of pipe work and the like both prior to and during a concrete pour operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,887 issued Apr. 19, 1994 to Hasty, deceased, et al, describes a universal pipe support and hanger system comprising a single support member of generally I-shaped cross-section elongated in a first direction between a proximate end and a distal end, and comprising an elongated central web integrally connected with midpoints of first and second flanges extending substantially at right angles to the web, in a second direction. The proximate end has an L-shaped flange for mounting the single support member against a flat surface or a DMV in at least two orthogonal directions. Upper and lower edges of each flange comprise v-shaped cradles to support pipes extending in a third direction. A plurality of septa extend between opposed inner surfaces of said first and second flanges, on either side of the web, so as to define compartments. A plurality of mounting devices, including a novel preloaded small pipe strap, are adapted to frictionally engage a pair of septa and remain slightly in the web when mounting pipes of varying outer diameters, against one or more of said v-shaped cradles. The '887 universal pipe support and hanger system is typically attached to a pipe at a single point along each pipe's length. Thus, the '887 system is not suitable for preventing misalignment that can occur when concrete his poured into a form containing pipe work.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,619 issued Jun. 30, 1992 to Collins, describes a pipe support element that is releasably mounted on a top rim of a form board. The pipe support element supports a pipe away from the form board so concrete can be poured around the pipe. The pipe support element is monolithic and includes a rectangular base attached to the form board by a fastener, such as a nail, and comprises a C-shaped section that engages the pipe. A strap, such as a wire, is wound around the pipe and around the nail to further attach the pipe to the pipe support element. The pipe support element can be removed from the form board for re-use. The '619 pipe support element is unsuitable for keeping a pipe aligned correctly during a concrete pour operation.
Pipefix™ is used in lavatory rough-ins. The Pipefix™ holds and aligns ½″ and ¾″ supply lines to a waste pipe. Only 3-½″ of wall clearance is required to mount the Pipefix™. The Pipefix™ comprises a support that is pre-slotted to hold apart 4″, 6″, and/or 8″ piping. The Pipefix™ attaches to 1-⅜″ through 6-⅝″ O.D. vent or waste piping by means of a stainless steel band. The Pipefix™ comes in two material options: A-503 Polystyrene (yellow in color) and A-603 ABS (orange in color). The Pipefix™ relies on a fixed waste pipe to align other pipes. There is a need for a universal alignment apparatus that does not rely on a fixed waste pipe to align other pipes.
U.S. Publication No. 2003/0108130 A1 published Jun. 12, 2003 to Tucker, describes an apparatus for supporting the pipes of a plumbing system during the construction of a cement building structure. The '130 apparatus is attachable at one end to a form board and at another end to a pipe. The '130 apparatus attaches to one point along a pipe's length making the '130 device unsuitable for maintaining pipe alignment during a concrete pour.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,880 issued May 16, 2000 to Senninger, describes a fastener for securing one or more water supply lines to a pipe, such as a drain or vent pipe. The fastener includes a first resilient clamping element for engaging the pipe and a second resilient clamping element for engaging the water line. The second resilient clamping elements may be unitary with the first resilient clamping elements or selectively connected together by means of a connector. The elements of the '880 device are made of a resilient plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride, CPVC, or ABS by means of injection molding. While the '880 device has a role to play in securing one or more water supply lines to a pipe, such as a drain or vent pipe, the '880 device is not sufficiently rigid to prevent pipe work moving out of alignment during a concrete pour operation.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus an apparatus solving the aforementioned problems is desired.